Fairhaven fire flares up on Friday; Officials: Investigation could take time

The Fairhaven Business Park fire flared up again Friday in Samoa, impeding an investigation into the blaze, according to officials.

The fire, which began early Thursday morning, destroyed or damaged several businesses in the hours-long blaze. Fire officials said they are still compiling damage estimates.

Samoa Peninsula Fire Protection District Chairman Troy Nicolini said wreckage from the fire re-ignited when winds picked up Friday morning.

McBurn Firewood owner Reggie Osburn reported that the fire destroyed his family-owned business that sells firewood bundles to the North Coast Co-op, Eureka Natural Food and others.

Osburn lost three palettes of wood, a new wood processor he just shipped in from Wisconsin and a forklift, among other equipment. The business was described as a "complete loss."

Myrtletown Lumber and Humboldt Bay Packers were hit hard by the fire, and Fox Farm Soil Plant was damaged in the blaze.

Chief Ken Woods said Humboldt Bay Fire crews spotted the red glow of the blaze burning across the bay while responding to a structure fire on Broadway in Eureka at about 2:30 a.m. on Thursday. Samoa Peninsula Volunteer Fire crews were already on scene when Humboldt Bay firefighters arrived. The fire was contained at 9 a.m. that morning.

Nicolini said an investigation into the cause of the fire was continuing with help from an insurance representative and an engineer from Security National, which owns the property.

Woods said the investigation would take some time, and that the extent of the damage could make determining a cause difficult.